A Connecticut state representative has been stripped of his leadership
position after telling a 17-year-old girl he had a "snake sitting under
my desk here".

Representative Ernest Hewett made the comment to an unidentified teenager during a public hearing at the state Capitol, where she was testifying about a programme that helped her overcome her shynessPhoto: ALAMY

9:13AM GMT 02 Mar 2013

Representative Ernest Hewett made the comment to an unidentified teenager during a public hearing at the state Capitol, where she was testifying about a programme that helped her overcome her shyness.

At the end of her presentation, Mr Hewett appeared to try to joke that she did not seem shy, saying: "If you're bashful I got a snake sitting under my desk here."

The veteran Democrat's comments elicited nervous laughter but within hours J Brendan Sharkey, the Speaker of the House, condemned the remark as "disturbing" and stripped Mr Hewett of his role as speaker.

"The public needs to know this is an environment where they will be respected," Mr Sharkey said told the Connecticut Post. "That kind of language shouldn't be used in any public setting."

Mr Hewett apologised for the remark, saying: "In hindsight, I can really see how this can be misconstrued as something sexual."